Kreuzeckbahn - Salzkofel

Access to starting point:
Drive to Spittal an der Drau in Austria and take the exit for Lienz. Follow the regional road via Lendorf, after which drive a few kilometers and then take a right turn in the direction of Möllbrücke, Mühldorf and Obervellach. After Mühldorf pay attention since it is necessary to turn left in Unterkolbnitz where the signs show the direction Kreuzeckbahn. The road goes through this small place and crosses the bridge. Soon after the bridge you arrive at the lower train station of Kreuzeckbahn. The ride to the upper station takes 11 minutes (from 605 to 1207 meters). The opening hours are from June to the penultimate week of September every day from 9 am to 5 pm.

Path description:
Important notice: Due to the timetable of the mountain train (Kreuzeckbahn) the path does not allow longer stops. The hiker must be able to walk in the designated time for mountain paths or faster.

Exit the upper station of the railway and continue on the path above the accumulation lake to the road, which you follow upwards. The path soon turns past a several-hundred-years-old larch (growing there since approx. 1770). At this point always follow the signs for Mernik Alm or Kleiner Salzkofel or Großer Salzkofel. From the road soon enter the forest and along numerous described sights and some spicy local thoughts finally step onto the road again and direct according to the signs on the path. When you reach the barrier across the road, you have the option to step onto the footpath immediately or continue 100 meters on the road and then step onto the footpath (the latter option is more recommended due to undergrowth). The path through the forest leads to the Mernik pasture.

The path continues through the Mernik pasture according to numerous signs for Salzkofel. To the right of the path soon bypass a nice panoramic point, then the ascending path across the pasture turns into the forest. In continuation cross the road, then bypass the spring, finally through the ever-thinner larch forest arrive at the pasture and the abandoned hut Mösernhütte at 1777 meters.

From Mösernhütte continue left on the path upwards, where soon enter the forest again. The forest soon starts to thin until it disappears. Somewhere towards the forest edge it is necessary to turn right on the path (junction is marked). The path then ascends more steeply along a locally less pronounced ridge to the summit of Koppen at 2158 meters, where a nice view of the surroundings opens.

From here the path runs along the ridge towards the west. After 5 minutes reach a junction. Here it is necessary to turn left onto the path towards the mountain Salzkofel (straight ahead in 5 minutes reach the summit of Kleiner Salzkofel). The path crosses numerous slopes below Kleiner Salzkofel. Then it goes to a smaller saddle and descends again and crosses slopes to the ledge below Salzkofel.

The path to the mountain then starts from the south. Here the path becomes steeper again. Soon it joins the one coming from the Salzkofel hut (Salzkofelhütte). Soon after follows the technically most difficult part of the path (partly demanding), equipped with steel cables. After a few dozen meters the difficulty eases. The path then ascends to a few dozen meters below the summit, where there is a partly demanding rocky step (equipped with a cable). The path then leads to the summit, on which stands a cross, under it there is a summit register and stamp.

Timeline of the path: start – Mernik Alm, 1492 m (50 min); Mernik Alm – Mösernhütte, 1777 m (50 min); Mösernhütte – Koppen, 2158 m (1h 20 min); Koppen - Salzkofel, 2498 m (1h 30 min).

On the way: Mernik Alm (1492m), Mösernhütte (1777m), Koppen (2158m)